The present invention generally relates to an apparatus and method for urging fluid from a charging system to a pressurized system. More particularly, it relates to an apparatus and method for urging fluid from aerosol-type and non-aerosol-type charging systems to an air conditioning system.
Routine maintenance of air conditioning systems often involves re-supplying an air conditioning unit with fluid which may have been lost as a result of a leak in the unit, for instance, a refrigerant, a lubricant or an additive.
One way of replenishing the supply of fluid in an air conditioning system involves injecting the fluid under pressure into the air conditioning unit by way of a charging system. Typically, an aerosol-type dispenser may be used as a charging system for injecting fluid into the air conditioning unit.
In this type of charging system, it is not uncommon to provide the dispenser with a fluid comprising a combination of refrigerant and dye. The dye is injected into the air conditioning unit along with the refrigerant, and is employed to detect leaks. A visual inspection of the air conditioning unit will reveal a leak at the location where dye is seen to be escaping the system. In some cases, a fluorescent dye, made visible by exposure to ultraviolet light, may be used to identify the leak.
Where an aerosol-type dispenser is used to inject fluid, one way of directing the contents of the dispenser into the air conditioning system is to employ a tap hose. Typically, a tap hose comprises an elongated tube having a first fitting at one end for connecting to the dispenser, and a second fitting at the opposite end for connecting to the air conditioning unit. The first fitting has female threading to connect to counterpart male threading provided on the top of the dispenser. The first fitting is also provided with a piercing device, such as a pin or a needle. The piercing device is mounted within the first fitting such that when the first fitting of the tap hose is mated with the dispenser, the piercing device breaks through the flat top of the dispenser to allow the contents thereof to escape through the tube. The flow of fluid through the tube is controlled by a control valve mounted to the tap hose.
The second fitting of the tap hose is generally compatible with the low-pressure side service port of the air conditioning unit. The service port of the air conditioning unit has a pressure-actuated valve. This type of valve is known to those skilled in the art. As the second fitting is mated with the service port of the air conditioning unit, a portion of the second fitting is urged against the valve of the service port thereby causing it to be actuated.
The typical installation of a tap hose is explained below. The control valve is closed. The first fitting is then screwed onto the top of the dispenser. The mating of the first fitting to the dispenser urges the piercing device to puncture the top of the dispenser and the contents of the dispenser are allowed to flow out from the dispenser and through the tube. The second fitting is then mated to the low-pressure side service port of the air-conditioning unit and the valve of the service port is actuated. Once both fittings have been properly mated, the control valve is opened and the fluid is allowed to flow unobstructed through the tube. The pressure in the dispenser being greater than the pressure in the air conditioning unit at the service port, the fluid is injected into the air conditioning system.
The use of a tap hose to effect the fluid refilling operation in an air conditioning unit has a number of drawbacks. The tap hose may be expensive to manufacture, particularly the tap hose component which comprises the piercing device. In some instances, the cost of manufacturing a tap hose may greatly exceed the cost of the aerosol-type dispenser and its contents. In such cases, the relative high cost of manufacturing would make disposal of the tap hose after a single use infeasible and uneconomical. Accordingly, it is more likely that a tap hose will be reused for multiple injections of fluid. However, the components of the tap hose may not be particularly well-suited for multiple use. For instance, the pin or needle of the piercing device may be susceptible to being bent or broken and the tube may be subject to wear, resulting in leakage.
As previously discussed, typical charging systems employ aerosol-type dispensers to inject fluids into air conditioning units. Often times, these types of dispensers require the use of a propellant to effect the injection of the fluid. Other times, the fluid itself will be held under pressure within the dispenser. In some jurisdictions, the content and size of these dispensers may be subject to strict regulatory control. Accordingly, the dispensers may have to comply with minimum size requirements. The sale and use of propellants are often restricted and may even be prohibited in some jurisdictions.
Alternative apparatuses and methods for injecting fluids into air conditioning systems are desirable.
In an aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for use with a charging system and a pressurized system for urging fluid from the charging system into the pressurized system. The charging system initially contains the fluid held under pressure. The charging system has a first pressure-actuated valve assembly. The first valve assembly has a first valve and a rigid discharge tube connected to the first valve. The discharge tube is retractable to actuate the first valve to release the fluid from the charging system. The pressurized system has a fitting and a second pressure-actuated valve assembly mounted within the fitting. The second valve assembly has a second valve and a pin connected to the second valve. The pin is retractable to actuate the second valve to allow entry of the fluid into the pressurized system. The apparatus has a rigid body with a longitudinal axis. The body has a first end about the axis for connecting the body to the charging system and a second end about the axis for connecting the body to the fitting of the pressurized system. The body is generally cylindrical about the axis. The body has an inner surface defining a conduit within the body. The conduit extends between the first and the second ends for fluid communication therebetween. The conduit at the first end is adapted to receive the discharge tube of the first valve assembly. The inner surface of the body is adapted to sealingly engage the discharge tube, and to stop the discharge tube in the conduit such that when the charging system is mated to the body the discharge tube is urged against the inner surface of the body thereby causing retraction of the discharge tube. The apparatus also has a rigid depressor for urging the pin to retract when the pressurized system is mated to the body. The depressor is mounted to the second end of the body clear of the conduit. The apparatus also has a resilient seal for discouraging leakage of fluid between the body and the fitting of the pressurized system. The seal is mounted to the body about the axis.
In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a kit for urging a fluid into a pressurized system. The pressurized system has a tubular fitting and a first pressure-actuated valve assembly mounted within the fitting. The first valve assembly has a first valve and a pin connected to the first valve. The pin is retractable to actuate the first valve to allow entry of the fluid into the pressurized system. The kit has a charging system containing the fluid held under pressure. The charging system has a second pressure-actuated valve assembly. The second valve assembly has a second valve and a rigid discharge tube connected to the second valve. The discharge tube is retractable to actuate the second valve to release the fluid from the charging system. The kit has an adapter. The adapter has a rigid body with a longitudinal axis. The body has a first end about the axis for connecting to the charging system and a second end about the axis for connecting to the fitting of the pressurized system. The body has an inner surface defining a conduit within the body. The conduit extends between the first and the second ends for fluid communication therebetween. The conduit is adapted to receive the discharge tube of the second valve assembly at the first end. The inner surface of the body is adapted to sealingly engage the discharge tube, and to stop the discharge tube in the conduit such that when the charging system is mated to the body the discharge tube is urged against the inner surface of the body thereby causing retraction of the discharge tube. The adapter also has a rigid depressor for urging the pin of the first valve assembly to retract when the pressurized system is mated to the body. The depressor is mounted to the second end of the body clear of the conduit. The adapter also has a seal for discouraging leakage of fluid between the body and the fitting when the pressurized system is connected to the body.
In yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for use with a charging system and a pressurized system for urging fluid from the charging system into the pressurized system. The charging system initially contains the fluid held under pressure. The charging system has a first pressure-actuated valve assembly. The first valve assembly has a first valve and a rigid discharge tube connected to the first valve. The discharge tube is retractable to actuate the first valve to release the fluid from the charging system. The pressurized system has a fitting and a second pressure-actuated valve assembly mounted within the fitting. The second valve assembly has a second valve and a pin connected to the second valve. The pin is retractable to actuate the second valve to allow entry of the fluid into the pressurized system. The apparatus has a rigid structure. The rigid structure has a first end for connecting to the charging system and a second end for connecting to the fitting of the pressurized system. The rigid structure also has a conduit defined within the structure which extends between the first end and the second end. The conduit is adapted to receive the discharge tube at the first end. The rigid structure also has a stop disposed within the conduit for urging the discharge tube of the first valve assembly to retract when the charging system is mated to the structure. The rigid structure also has a first seal disposed within the conduit for discouraging leakage of fluid between the structure and the discharge tube of the first valve assembly when the charging system is connected to the structure. The rigid structure also has a rigid depressor for urging the pin of the second valve assembly to retract when the pressurized system is mated to the structure. The depressor is mounted at the second end of the structure clear of the conduit so as not to prevent the egress of fluid therefrom. The rigid structure also has a resilient second seal mounted about the structure for sealing between the structure and the fitting when the structure is connected to the pressurized system.
In still another aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for use with a charging system and a pressurized system for urging fluid from the charging system into the pressurized system. The charging system has a vessel containing fluid. The pressurized system has a tubular fitting and a pressure-actuated valve assembly mounted within the fitting. The valve assembly has a valve and a pin connected to the valve. The pin is retractable to actuate the valve to allow entry of the fluid into the pressurized system. The apparatus has a rigid structure. The rigid structure has a first end for connecting to the charging system and a second end for connecting to the fitting of the pressurized system. The rigid structure also has a conduit defined within the structure extending between the first end and the second end. The rigid structure also has a rigid depressor for urging the pin of the valve assembly to retract when the pressurized system is mated to the structure. The depressor is mounted at the second end of the structure clear of the conduit so as not to prevent the egress of fluid therefrom. The rigid structure also has a resilient seal mounted about the structure for sealing between the structure and the fitting when the structure is connected to the pressurized system.
In an additional aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of urging fluid from a charging system to a pressurized system. The charging system has a first pressure-actuated valve assembly operable to release pressurized fluid from the charging system. The pressurized system has a second pressure-actuated valve assembly operable to permit entry of the fluid into the pressurized system. The method comprises the steps of: connecting the charging system to a first end of an adapter; connecting the pressurized system to a second end of the adapter; and applying a force to the charging system toward the pressurized system to cause the charging system and the pressurized system to mate with the adapter thereby actuating the first valve assembly to release pressurized fluid into a conduit defined within the adapter, and actuating the second valve assembly to permit the fluid in the conduit to enter the pressurized system.
In a further additional aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of urging fluid from a charging system to a pressurized system. The charging system has a vessel containing fluid. The pressurized system has a pressure-actuated valve assembly operable to permit entry of the fluid into the pressurized system. The method comprises the steps of: operating a deep vacuum in the pressurized system for a predetermined period of time at a predetermined pressure; connecting the charging system to a first end of an adapter; connecting the pressurized system to a second end of the adapter; and applying a force to the adapter toward the pressurized system to cause the pressurized system to mate with the adapter thereby actuating the valve assembly to permit the vacuum to draw fluid from the charging system into the pressurized system through a conduit defined within the adapter.